From the TAFF ballot form: The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund was
created in 1953 for the purpose of providing funds to bring well-known
and popular [science fiction] fans familiar to those on both sides of
the ocean across the Atlantic. Since that time TAFF has regularly
brought North American fans to European conventions and European fans to
North American conventions. TAFF exists solely through the support of
fandom. The candidates are voted on by interested fans all over the
world, and each vote is accompanied by a donation [...] These votes, and
the continued generosity of fandom, are what make TAFF possible. (See
past and present ballot forms for more.)

Announcements & Updates

13 January 2020From the Administrators:
The 2020 TAFF race is over!  These are the preliminary
results. A final announcement with full voting results with be made
shortly, but given the magnitude of the win, we're able to
confidently announce the 2020 TAFF delegate today.  103 votes
were cast: 67 in North America, 34 in Europe, and 2 in the rest of
the world. Of the votes cast, 11 were for No Preference. Of the
remaining 92, 83 votes were cast for Michael "Orange Mike"
Lowrey [below], who won this race with a simple majority in
the first round of voting. We, the administrators, wish to
congratulate Mike on his win!  We would also like to thank
everyone who voted, everyone who donated money to TAFF, everyone who
shared our announcements, and most of all, Ann Totusek who ran
against Mike. Thank you all!

17 December 2019 The fund administrators,
Johan Anglemark and Geri Sullivan, have published their joint
newsletter TAFFish 1 with
candidate interviews, an update on TAFF finances and a reminder of
the 12 January deadline for voting in the current race.

1 November 2019 The two candidates in the
2020 TAFF race have been announced
as Michael Lowrey and Ann Totusek, with the voting ballot to follow
on 4 November.

6 October 2019 John Purcell, former North American TAFF
administrator from 2017 to 2019, has deleted his TAFF-specific Gmail
account with user name 2017taff2019. Although this is listed a few
times in past announcements and ballot forms, it's hardly necessary
to tell friends of TAFF that the latest contact addresses on the
TAFF home page are the ones to use.

24 September 2019The 2020 race is announced!
[PDF document] "We, the current administrators of The
Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, issue a call for nominations for the 2020
TAFF race, to go from North America to Europe. The winner will
attend Concentric: Eastercon 2020, in Birmingham, UK, (www.concentric2020.uk)
from April 10 to April 13, 2020. Yes, it is an eastbound race for
the second consecutive year. Looking at the next five Worldcons and
Worldcon bids, that makes the most sense, we think. The nomination
deadline is 31 October, 2019."

24-26 April 2019 Geri Sullivan is this year's TAFF
delegate and will attend Dublin 2019: see
the initial announcement and
the detailed press release with voting
breakdown.  Claire Brialey reports that over £1000
was raised by the TAFF/GUFF auction at Ytterbium (the UK Eastercon),
with further donations and voting fees bringing the total to well
over £2000; John Purcell adds that voting donations on the
North American side exceeded $1500.

April 2019 Yet another addition to the free ebooks on this
site: Francis T. Laney's infamous 1948 fan memoir and polemic Ah!
Sweet Idiocy!. Also (though not exclusive to this site)
A TAFF Guide to
Beer, first published April 2019.

6 March 2019 The four candidates in the
current TAFF race answer mercilessly probing questions in
TAFF News Redux #2.

19 December 2018TAFF
News Redux reminds us of the state of play in the current
race and includes a ballot form. John Purcell urges us all to share
it far and wide.

1 December 2018 Voting is now open in the
2019 race with candidates Teresa Cochran, Sarah Gulde, Mike Lowrey,
and Geri Sullivan. The online voting form is
active; this and the 2019 ballot
form both include the candidates' hard-sell
platforms; there is
also a printable PDF ballot.

30 November 2018 With the addition today of
David Langford's Don't Try This At Home: Selected Convention
Reports, there are now 31 titles on this site's
Free Ebooks page.

23 November 2018 John Purcell writes: "While
Johan Anglemark prepares the official ballot for the 2019 TAFF race
to the Dublin Worldcon next year, we are proud to announce the names
of the four candidates: they are Teresa Cochran, Sarah Gulde, Mike
Lowrey, and Geri Sullivan. / Voting begins on December 1, 2018 and
ends on April 22, 2019. (John Purcell, North American TAFF
administrator; Johan Anglemark, European TAFF Administrator)"

10 September 2018 The administrators John
Purcell and Johan Anglemark announce that TAFF nominations for the
2019 eastbound race (whose winner is to attend the
Dublin Worldcon) will open on
1 October 2018, closing on 22 November 2018, with votes accepted
from 1 December 2018 to the closing date of 22 April 2019.
Candidates need three North American and two European nominators and
must also provide a platform of not more than 101 words and $20 USD
bond sent via PayPal to 2017taff2019 [at] gmail dot com.  A
more detailed newsletter announcement is in preparation.

July 2018TAFF
News Special Report gives details of 2018 delegate Johan
Anglemark's trip itinerary.  Jim Mowatt has more good news
about his trip report (see 26 April below): "'I have recently
sent copies of my 2013 TAFF report to SCIFI and FANAC and both
happily paid 500 dollars each into the TAFF coffers, so helping us
to keep sending more delegates across the ocean to strengthen the
science fictional bonds that enhance our community. Many thanks to
both these fine organisations for their encouragement and support
for the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund." An ebook version is in
preparation.

26 April 2018 Jim Mowatt announces
publication of his 2013 TAFF Report, Wherever I Lay My Hat!:
"After years of desperate procrastination the report of my 2013
TAFF trip to North America is now complete. It tells the tale of my
visits to Toronto, Abingdon, Seattle, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Las
Vegas, San Antonio (Worldcon) and New Orleans. It features art from
(in order of appearance) Alan White, Al Sirois, Stu Shiffman, Carrie
Mowatt, D. West, Taral Wayne, Brad Foster, Allison Hershey, Ulf
Skei, Valeri Purcell, Julie McMurray and Anne Stokes. There are many
fine full colour photos of frolicking fans and Ive even shoved
a few words in there. Im recommending a donation to Taff of
about 20 pounds (28 or 29 dollars) and you can donate using the Taff
donations buttons at . Email me, jim (at) umor.co.uk or
John Purcell at 2017taff2019 (at) gmail.com and well post out
a copy."